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NATPE Preps TV Festival for L.A.

Apr 3, 2007  •  Post A Comment

The National Association of Television Program Executives is launching a Los Angeles-based television fiesta dubbed the LATV Festival. The July event will tie in to the 5-year-old Television Producer’s Boot Camp and feature a citywide celebration of video content showcasing the work of the city’s multiplatform TV producers and production community.

“There is no doubt that television production is one of our city’s strongest economic engines,” said Rick Feldman, president and CEO of NATPE. “The industry creates jobs and has significant financial benefits to Los Angeles residents. We believe it’s time that Los Angeles gets the exposure it deserves as the ‘TV production capital of the world.’ We believe our expertise, relationships within the television industry and commitment to the growth of our industry make us the best partner for Los Angeles in the development and launch of the LATV Festival.”

The festival will begin July 25 with the first of three “Deconstructing a Hit” breakfast panels featuring the producers of top series; it’s produced in association with the Producers Guild of America. Each evening the event will offer special screenings along with chat sessions featuring cast and crew. In addition, the festival will showcase the latest portals, channels, platforms and Internet celebrities as part of its “Digital Day” series.

Earlier this year, NATPE shifted its annual market to the week of Jan. 28, two weeks later than the 2007 conference. The shift takes the market away from events which compete either directly or indirectly with NATPE for bodies, press coverage and timeliness, such as the Golden Globe Awards, the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour and the booming Consumer Electronics Show.

(Editor: Horowitz)